Development and trial of a dried tube specimen (DTS) proficiency testing panel for dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests.

PURPOSE: To develop and trial a dried tube specimen (DTS) panel for proficiency testing of dual HIV/syphilis rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) at clinical sites.

RESULTS

DTS panels were prepared using plasma samples with known HIV and syphilis results, to give varying reactivity for syphilis and HIV test lines on RDTs. Laboratory DTS panels were stable for a minimum 4-week period at ambient temperatures with no inter-reader variability of results. Field testing of panels with Standard Diagnostics Bioline HIV/Syphilis duo showed 100% correlation with laboratory results, and excellent mean pair agreement between the two clinical sites (k = 1.0). With Chembio Dual Path Platform HIV-Syphilis, there were two false negative results for HIV and syphilis, respectively, at one site; and good mean pair agreement between the two sites (k = 0.9).

CONCLUSION

It is feasible and practicable to incorporate DTS panels into a field proficiency testing scheme for dual HIV/syphilis RDTs.